Gaming cage workers

Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition

U.S. Department of Labor | Bureau of Labor Statistics | Bulletin 2540

Gaming Cage Workers

Gaming cage workers, more commonly called cage cashiers, work in casinos and other gaming establishments. The “cage” where these workers can be found is the central depository for money, gaming chips, and paperwork necessary to support casino play.

Cage workers carry out a wide range of financial transactions and handle any paperwork that may be required. They perform credit checks and verify credit references for people who want to open a house credit account. They cash checks according to rules established by the casino. Cage workers sell gambling chips, tokens, or tickets to patrons or to other workers for resale to patrons and exchange chips and tokens for cash. They may use cash registers, adding machines, or computers to calculate and record transactions. At the end of their shift, cage cashiers must balance the books.

Because the industry is scrutinized closely, cage workers must follow a number of rules and regulations related to their handling of money. Large cash transactions, for example, must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Also, in determining when to extend credit or cash a check, cage workers must follow highly detailed procedures.

Gaming cage workers held about 18,000 jobs in 2002. All of these individuals work in the gaming industry, which is heavily concentrated in Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey. However, a growing number of States and Indian reservations have legalized gambling, and gaming establishments can now be found in many parts of the country.

Job Outlook	[About this section]	Back to Top

Employment of gaming cage workers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012. Opportunities for gaming cage workers depend on the health of the gaming industry. The industry as a whole is strong, and demand will remain high as gambling becomes a more popular and acceptable leisure pursuit. New casinos will continue to be built on Indian reservations and in States that currently do not have any casinos. Gaming cage workers, however, will not fare as well as others in the gaming industry, because many of the newer casinos are going cashless and using debitlike cards instead. However, a fair number of job openings will result from high turnover in this occupation due to the high level of scrutiny workers receive and the need to be accurate. Persons with good mathematics abilities, some background in accounting or bookkeeping, and good customer service skills should have the best opportunities.

Sources of Additional Information	[About this section]	Back to Top

Information on employment opportunities for gaming cage workers is available from local offices of the State employment service.

(See the introductory statement on financial clerks for information on working conditions, training requirements, and earnings.)

Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Gaming Cage Workers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos278.htm (visited July 09, 2004).